


Khadgar's Little Curse

by Tybir



Category: Warcraft (2016)
Genre: Baby Khadgar, Father-Son Relationship, Fatherhood, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-29 12:32:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7684672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tybir/pseuds/Tybir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Callan had gotten up to mischief as a baby, Anduin would come back to find toys or clothing strewn across the floor.<br/>When Khadgar got up to mischief as a baby, Anduin would come back to find something on fire.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Khadgar's Little Curse

**Author's Note:**

> The 'Khadgar is turned into a baby' story that nobody asked for.

When Callan was born, a grieving Anduin Lothar had held the wailing baby out to his sister. Taria had taken the boy in her arms and done all she could to help raise him. Anduin had lost his wife that day, and his remaining family understood that he needed time to cope with that. While Anduin was grateful for his sister’s aid, he never could shake off the feeling of guilt that he hadn’t been around more for his son when Callan was little.

When Khadgar was cursed, a bewildered Anduin Lothar had held the wailing baby out to his sister.  
Taria had crossed her arms and shaken her head. “I helped raise the last one, this one is yours.”  
Anduin had pulled the baby close to his chest and looked down at the sobbing child, and promised to himself that while they could not undo this curse, he would be there for Khadgar the way he hadn’t for Callan.

While Medivh worked on a cure for the curse, Lothar worked on a cure for his own sanity, for he very quickly realised that taking care of Khadgar was nothing like taking care of Callan. Callan had been a happy baby with an independent streak, who would sit by himself for long periods of time and always wanted to do things for himself. Khadgar was a clingy baby with a strong attachment to Anduin. Every time the warrior left the little mage’s sight, even for a moment, Khadgar would cry until he returned. How such a weepy baby would grow into such an independent adult, Anduin wasn’t sure. Part of him wondered if the mage was just doing this to spite him, but another part remembered Khadgar’s tale of being given up by his parents. Perhaps he feared Anduin would abandon him too.

When Callan had gotten up to mischief as a baby, Anduin would come back to find toys or clothing strewn across the floor. When Khadgar got up to mischief as a baby, Anduin would come back to find something on fire. When Callan had been wet, Anduin would change him. When Khadgar was wet, half the time it was because he had somehow managed to summon a water elemental in his cot, and those things ensured that everything within a five metre radius would be completely and utterly drenched. The only plus side to this was that Khadgar probably didn’t need as many baths.

Callan had enjoyed baths, especially when they involved toy boats. Khadgar saw baths as an excuse to incessantly scream at the top of his lungs, at least until Anduin realised that having a second person there to hold the little mage’s hand would calm him down considerably. Usually it was Taria but sometimes it was Callan. Whether Callan’s claim of wanting to help out were legitimate or he was just tired of hearing the screaming from his room next door, Anduin wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t about to say no to help.  

After Callan was fed as a baby, Anduin would pat his back and he would belch. After Khadgar was fed as a baby, Anduin would pat his back and he would throw up. When Callan threw a temper tantrum, Anduin could pick him up and try to calm him. When Khadgar threw a temper tantrum, he would throw a magic barrier around himself, then fail to understand why Anduin wasn’t picking him up when he would make grabby hands. This of course lead to even more crying, and some of it might have been Anduin.

Once Anduin got Khadgar into the cot for the night though, everything changed. While Callan had always fussed and constantly woke up during the night as a small child, Khadgar had apparently retained his adult form’s ability to remain blissfully unconscious for incredibly long periods of time. Anduin would rock him to sleep in the evening, place him in the cot then wait until the baby’s breathing had slowed. He would then have the rest of the evening, all night and a few hours the next morning before Khadgar would wake up.

Unfortunately the early morning when he had just woken up was Khadgar’s favourite time to throw random spells around, just to make sure that Anduin always started his day wet, on the floor, on fire, or all of the above. When Medivh finally returned with a cure for the curse, Anduin could have wept tears of joy. Then Khadgar had burbled at him softly, his large brown eyes staring up at the warrior’s face so innocently, and he’d placed his tiny little hand on Anduin’s face. Anduin had snuck a little kiss on the mage’s cheek before placing the boy on the blanket where Medivh had instructed him to.

In a flash of blue light the baby was gone, and Khadgar the fully grown mage lay in his place, wrapped up in the blankets thoughtfully prearranged by the Guardian.  
“How do you feel?” Medivh had asked him carefully, assessing the young mage for any sign that the spell had gone wrong.  
“Hungry,” Khadgar replied with a smile. “Thank you for restoring me Guardian.”  
“You’re quite welcome.”

After Medivh had left, Anduin rounded on his young friend.  
“Thank you for taking care of me while I was cursed, Anduin,” the warrior said sarcastically. “Thank you for feeding me every three to four hours even though I always threw up on you afterwards. Thank you for putting up with my ear-splitting screams while you tried to bathe me. Thank you for cleaning up after my water elementals and putting out all the fires I summoned. Thank you for rocking me to sleep each night and picking me up every ten minutes because Light forbid I get anything done while you were around!”

Khadgar raised an eyebrow, as though asking if Anduin was quite done, before moving forward and wrapping his arms around the warrior. “Thank you for being the best Dad I ever had, even for just a little while.”  
Anduin returned the hug tightly, surprised to find himself tearing up in response. One of his biggest regrets in life was his perceived failure as a father, so to hear those words had brought on a flood of emotions far stronger than he expected.  
“Your shirt smells like puke,” Khadgar added, wrinkling his nose in disgust.  
“I wonder why that would be,” Anduin replied with a shake of his head as he pulled back, grasping the mage’s shoulders affectionately. Khadgar was a young adult again, safe and sound and back to his old self.

Anduin was relieved to return to his room alone that night. He could relax, do as he pleased, and head to bed at whatever time he liked. He wouldn’t have to deal with random spells flying about the next morning, and as long as Callan didn’t marry and have children any time soon, he would have no more bottle feeds or diaper changes in his foreseeable future. Glancing at the cot in the corner of his room though, Anduin felt a sudden pang of loneliness.

He may not miss the screaming and crying, but he did miss holding that tiny little form, gently rocking the child until he fell asleep with his thumb in his mouth and his ear to Anduin’s heart. He missed the tiny little hand that would cling to his shirt like a lifeline, the little fingers that would wrap around the warrior’s own finger, the happy expression on the little face when Anduin would smile at him. Maybe Callan getting married and having children wouldn’t be such a bad thing after all. He may not have been the best father, but one day he would be the best grandfather that ever existed.


End file.
